Animal mummies from the Cairo museum

Cory Doctorow 11:21 pm Mon Oct 26, 2009

Marilyn sez, "Why did the ancient Egyptians go to such trouble to mummify animals? A 17-foot, knobby-backed crocodile, buried with baby croc mummies in its mouth, for example, or tiny scarab beetles and the dung balls they ate. An antelope, a kitten, a baboon.

Some were pets, some were sacred animals, and some were just"gourmet jerky for the hereafter." But which were which? Here's a story about zooarchaeology: the study of ancient animal remains.

I like the last photo in this gallery, showing a mummified baboon from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. An x-ray revealed missing canines, which may indicate the animal was a pet, with teeth removed to 'prevent nipping royal fingers'".

Animal Mummies

(Thanks, Marilyn!)

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